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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · deal · press · vault · chest · stock

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. chest — a box
  3. stock — goods
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. chest — of your body
  10. stock — shares
  11. chest — of your body
  12. deal — to handle
  13. vault — a safe
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. toast — bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com